Cultural heritage, a challenging mentor and the bridge between free expression and disciplined practice.

Regina Linke is an illustrator and writer dedicated to celebrating traditional Chinese art and philosophy in a modern way.

Regina's childhood interest in drawing was initially stifled by rigid instruction, and she went on to study business in college followed by a career in international development. It wasn't until a move to Taiwan, her parents' homeland, that she reconnected with her artistic passion.

In Taiwan, Regina immersed herself in traditional Chinese brush painting. Despite an initial struggle with the structured learning environment, she credits her critical teacher with pushing her to develop a unique artistic voice, one that blends her Western upbringing with Eastern aesthetics.

This fusion led to the creation of The Oxherd Boy, an online comic that grew from her desire to explain complex philosophical concepts to her young son. Regina discusses the evolution of The Oxherd Boy into published books, and the challenges of adapting her deeply personal work for diverse audiences while staying true to the core message.

In this episode Regina offers invaluable advice for aspiring creatives: find joy in the process, but also embrace the discipline of practice and the humility to learn, while illustrating how unexpected paths can lead to profound artistic expression.

Key Takeaways

• Embrace structured learning to build foundational skills, even in creative fields, as it deepens your understanding and respect for the art form.
• A challenging or critical mentor can be instrumental in pushing you beyond your comfort zone to discover your unique artistic voice.
• Blending diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives can lead to a richer, more distinctive creative style.
• Consistent creative practice is essential for growth, even when inspiration wanes; it keeps your skills sharp and fuels further development.
• Be open to the evolution of your work when collaborating with others, understanding that adaptation can broaden your reach and create new stepping stones for your message.

Buy arts and crafts techniques books, plus books by some of my podcast guests, from the Creativity Found bookshop

Help me to keep making this podcast at buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here

Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

Mime, movement and the Relax Kids revolution.

Marneta Viegas, founder of Relax Kids, was the "fame school" student haunted by self-doubt who went on to become a pioneer of accessible children's relaxation. In this episode she details the emotional toll business growth had on her, and how she now fiercely guards her creativity.

• From Self-Doubt to Mime: Marneta shares her supportive, yet complex, childhood, including attending ballet and tap classes where she struggled with self-esteem. Despite graduating with a degree in performing arts (and crying daily over the music requirements), constant rejection from the children’s TV industry led her to pivot to the "silent way," studying mime. She funded this non-verbal training by entertaining children as a clown.
• The Accidental Birth of Relax Kids: While working as a clown Marneta noticed a critical drop in children’s concentration, and using accumulated skills (breathing, drama, mime, silence), she created her unique seven-step system and made relaxation for children "acceptable" by turning fairy stories into meditations, drafting her first book in just three days.
• The Struggle: Losing the Creative Spark: As Relax Kids grew, the administrative burden took over, and Marneta experienced a loss of creativity, as well as feeling physically sick and struggling with "dark days".
• Creativity Found and Fiercely Guarded: There is, of course, a happy ending, and Marneta explains how she was able to find her path back to creativity, and how she now prioritizes new creative channels, including performing unique standup comedy, mindful movement, and forest bathing.

Marneta's story is about the power of silence, stillness, and childlikeness to feed the soul and fuel creative liberation.

Find Relax Kids here

Buy Relax Kids books here

Buy arts and crafts techniques books, plus books by some of my podcast guests, from the Creativity Found bookshop

Help me to keep making this podcast at buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here

Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

From combat engineer to creative conjurer, discover how Joseph Bolton merges magic, ancestry and the northern lights in his new-found love for writing folklore and fantasy.

Joseph joined the US Army straight out of high school, and in his 25 years of service graduated from West Point and Ranger School and worked as a combat engineer (a role that involved building bridges and blowing things up), an infantry officer, and even a space operations officer.

After the passing of his younger brother from ALS in 2013, Joseph felt a profound need to reflect on the value of time and growing older. This led him first to an expressive blog and eventually to the highly unusual creative project that would define his next chapter.

The Old Grandmother’s Tree collection of stories began life as a charming French Canadian folktale about farm animals (who surprisingly 'smoke cigars and drink wine'), and soon became a series of highly illustrated tales rooted in Joseph's ancestry and featuring magic, ghosts, and trickster animal characters – a magic shawl with the colour of the northern lights was a feature of the first short story and later became the genesis for the entire series.

Joseph is a highly visual writer who sees stories unfold 'as a movie within my mind', and collaborates with artists Masami Kiyono and Natasha Pelley-Smith to create this unique hybrid format – a series so heavily illustrated it features close to 700 images across its first three volumes, blurring the line between a traditional novel and a graphic novel.

This episode offers a compelling look at how creativity can emerge in unexpected moments and how personal loss can spark artistic expression. It's a must-listen for anyone interested in family history, creative late-blooming, and the surprising ways our life experiences shape our storytelling.

Find the Old Grandmother's Tree books here

creativityfound.co.uk

Researched, edited and produced by Claire Waite Brown
Music: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day Trips

Buy arts and crafts techniques books, plus books by some of my podcast guests, from the Creativity Found bookshop

Help me to keep making this podcast at buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here

Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout